Out of print Passionate Realities By Nicole Austin Cassandra McCarthy is ready to scratch an itch. The man she has in mind to do the scratching has it all--charm, confidence, and success. His dark good looks combined with an insatiable sexuality create a potent animal magnetism that is hard to resist. Aiden has wanted Cass from the first moment they met. So far he has kept his distance, feeling that his dark sexual tastes would be too much for the gorgeous soccer mom. That is about to change. Enter Travis Lundy, Aiden's best friend, and nearly his mirror image. Over the years the two men have come to share a unique bond--working together, sharing the same friends…and both are hot for the same woman. As Cass begins to discover things about her sexuality, her explorations become "no holds barred". Somehow she ends up in love with two sexy men, and is unable to pick one over the other. Life has taught her that happily-ever-after endings do not exist. But the guys have worked up a plan of their own. Double the pleasure, double the passion, and triple the fun. Note: This book contains graphic male/male sexual interaction.
Bestselling author Nicole Austin writes provocative erotic romance stories that push boundaries and release inhibitions, resulting in extreme reader satisfaction. Her tales of hunky heroes and badass heroines include BDSM, contemporary romance, edgy role play, erotic horror, ménage, paranormal, sci-fi, shapeshifters, stepbrother romance, vampires, and much more. Nicole has an Associate degree in Radiology Technology and a Bachelor in Health Care Services. When not writing, she loves the fast-paced excitement of working night shift in the Emergency Room.
"Passionate Realities" is Nicole Austin's really hot menage story about a woman who's afraid to love and two men who have waited long enough for her to heal. It's a bit different in that the menage isn't a 'from the start' thing. First she sleeps with one, and then realizes her love for both. I think this is a much more likely (HAH) scenario than most menage relationship books I read. But of course, that's jut me!
Cassandra has managed to make a life for herself after two huge relationship mistakes. But since the first 'mistake' resulted in her daughter, she can't really regret that one. And the second enabled her to meet Aiden...her dead husband's brother. Although Aiden hasn't really tried to hide his attraction to her, Cassandra isn't sure she's willing to risk their friendship...not to mention the fact that she's also seriously attracted to Aiden's lookalike buddy Travis.
Aiden knew he would have to have Cass from the moment they met. He also knew that she would need time and healing before he could approach her. But now it appears she's thinking about a relationship...and both he and Travis have no intentions of letting her go to any other man.
Smoking sex with emotional overtones. I enjoyed this much more than I anticipated...that's always a good thing. Austin's characters have passions and problems, and there's no 'magic bullet' to miraculously solve either one. Instead they have to work things out with some steps forward and some back...just like the rest of us.
Not quite what I was expecting, or quite what I wanted. Not a bad book, though, I just wanted something a little different.
Series Note: No series connections that I know of.
Summary: Cassandra McCarthy has been abandoned by just about everyone in her life. Her parents ditched her, her first real boyfriend got her pregnant, then her new husband turned out to be emotionally abusive and then he was killed in an accident. Cass decides it's not worth getting close to anyone. She has her daughter and that's all she needs. But with her brother-in-law Aiden in her life, that's easier said than done. Cass wants Aiden, but doesn't want to lose his friendship.
Aiden has waited long enough for Cass to heal from the wounds of her life. He finally pushes her for a real relationship. She resists at first, but the sexual lust between them gets the better of them. Things are good in bed, but Cass is still afraid to commit and Aiden is afraid to lose her. And Cass has a secret...she also has feelings for Aiden's best friend, Travis. What's a girl to do when there are two men in her life that she desperately wants? Have them both, of course!
Review: I picked this story to read because I was in the mood for another bi-menage HEA story. And this one delivered on that....sort of. It wasn't an entirely satisfying story though. It was missing something.
I liked all three characters in the book. They're all pretty likable and there's great chemistry between them. The romance starts off between just Cass and Aiden and they really set the sheets on fire. But there's also chemistry between Cass and Travis. So one night they end up in a threesome. Which is hot. But this is where the story started to lose me a little.
The ending of the book is technically a bi-menage HEA, but it doesn't feel that way. Aiden and Travis have no intimate connection until their threesome with Cass and then it's just sort of Cass putting them into positions where they're touching and eventually both are like, what the hell? why not? and getting more involved. There's no sexual intimacy or attraction between these two until that time. And when they do finally hook up that way, it feels most like it's just them being sexually uninhibited instead of having those kind of feelings for each other. That's not what I want out of a bi-menage HEA story. I want all the characters to care for each other and want each other sexually. So that part of the story wasn't satisfying. I was disappointed with it.
I was also confused on Cass's reasons throughout the book for pushing Aiden away. It seemed like half the time she was saying she was afraid she'd hurt him, then it was she was afraid he'd abandon her. I was confused. Cass was too up and down, feeling one thing one minute and then something different the next. It was annoying.
But hey, the sex was hot! That's a definite plus.
And on a writing standpoint...the writer had a serious overkill on the use of adjectives. I think about a quarter of the words could have been chopped out of the book as being totally superfluous. I got used to it as a read, but in the beginning it drove me nuts.
Anyway, this was a slightly above average romantic romance. I've read a lot better, and I've also read a lot worse.
WARNING, this book contains: explicit sex and language, oral sex (m/f, m/m, m/f/m), anal sex (m/f, m/m, m/f/m), lots of use of toys, solo masturbation scenes, spanking, light bondage, food play, under-the-table restaurant play, and a bi-menage HEA ending.
Ummmm, well it was better than your average erotica, but not great. I liked the story, but the writing was pretty darn bad. I know others don't mind that, but I can't stand it. Also, the lead is suddenly in love with two guys, but only one of those storylines is developed. There should have been some lead-in to her falling for bachelor number 2. It is nice to see some solid polyandry, not just a wild night or a wild week, but a long term relationship.
I looked forward to this book and was somewhat disappointed. And if possible,I would give this book 2.5 stars instead of 2, but this site does not allow half stars. Why not round up to 3 then? Well, here are my reasons why. I really don't like the main character as a writer, especially a romance writer. This does not make the author research another profession. A cheat, in my opinion. And yes, I know there are authors who have done this well. I would have to say that Rachel Gibson did it well in "True Confessions." And I'm sure you're thinking of at least a half dozen other authors who have done the-character-as-writer well. But it was not done well here. The two areas that it helps to move the story along is allows the main female character, Cassandra McCarhty, to explore her sexuality with toys and allows her to be available for her daughter. Ah yes, her daughter, Sam. Yet another disappointment. Sam spends more time with Darlene, Cass's publisher, than with Cass. And if she is so important to Cass, as we are lead to believe, then why does the author not provide any intaction between them until chapter 3? And her answer on page 28 as to why Sam should not want a little sister does not endear me to Cass. Another disappointment was the sex. Now, don't get me wrong, it was hot and well written. With that being said, do we need 5 chapters on the first coupling? Yes, 5 chapters. The first coupling between all three lasts 3 chapters. It is too much. All these chapters dedicated to sex, take away from the story. This is perhaps my biggest disappointment. The story would not stand without the sex. The story seems to support the sex and not the other way around. Due to the space given to the sex, we don't get to see how Cass starts to fall for Travis before Aiden leaves her when Bryce comes back. Early in the book, Cass knows she has feeling for Traivs, but I've yet to see how these feelings come about. The reader does get to see how the love develops between Cass and Aiden. But not having this same space with Cass and Travis and the author asks the reader to accept the love between them, is asking a lot of sophiisticated readers of romance. I had a few questions. How did Cass start working on cars? Who showed her? She was raised by her grandmother. And who are Jared and Jessica who are also present at the wedding? Both Aiden and Travis have brown eyes. Why did they turn tawny? I've had brown eyes my whole life and they've yet to turn tawny. What happened with Travis' job? Does he still work with the same company? It was such a pivotal point in the plot and no update on it. Did I like the book? Yes. I will say that I'm glad I'm a member of book sharing site and was able to get it that way not spend more than the shipping cost for it. I enjoyed the sex scenes. They were hot. Cass dancing for both of her men gave me courage to dance for one. Liked the line on page 155, "The happy trail. Someone sign me up for the next trip." Also like the line on page 170. "More than anything, she wanted go to Travis, stip off his clothes, trip him and then beat him to the floor." And the masturbation scene that follows is very sexy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
the heroine is not a selfish b*tch like some heroine in other novels with the same category. she is strong,honest,insecure but also stubborn, independent and wanton sex goddess
wow.... yah it was ok i did want to know how it ended, but i felt more like i was reading someones notes than a story. there were times when something would pop up and i'd be taken back by what happened. ive heard of sudden plot twist but not one that pops outta thin air. all in all it was an ok book maybe something go read if your bored...